Išerić: You can self-determine wherever you want, but there is no more self-determination in Bosnia

(Patria) - Thank you for coming to this Convention and thus showing your interest in the state of our country Bosnia and Herzegovina and your commitment to preserving it as its loyal guardians and building it to the measure of each of its citizens.

This was stated this evening at the "Holiday" hotel in Sarajevo by the president of the Association of Guardians of Bosnia and doctor of legal sciences Enver Išerić, addressing the Convention organized by Krug 99 and Čuvari Bosne under the slogan "Bosnia is Ours - Bosnian".

And yes, says Išerić, what is written in the very name of the Convention is true - "Bosnia is Ours - Bosnian" - and no one else's.

- Belgrade and Zagreb are trying in vain, through their policies, which they implement through certain political centers in Bosnia and Herzegovina, to try to claim our country and very crudely, violating both international law and the Dayton Peace Agreement, undermine its sovereignty and territorial integrity.

These were all the war aims of those countries, which the defenders of Bosnia and Herzegovina, from all ethnic groups and national minorities, turned into mere dreams.

After their military defeat, they decided on a second, unarmed attack on our country, blocking its institutions, disputing the Constitutional Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and its decisions, disputing the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina and other institutions established in accordance with the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in order to exercise the competencies necessary for the protection of the sovereignty and territorial integrity of BiH.

They go so far as to not accept the Resolution of the United Nations General Assembly on the genocide in Srebrenica, which the whole world witnessed. They want to teach us how to read the Dayton Peace Agreement and interpret it in a way that suits them and the achievement of their war aims, which is the division of Bosnia and Herzegovina - says Išerić.

He notes that if the creators and signatories of the Dayton Peace Agreement had wanted to give it such a meaning, it would not have been concluded.

- The Dayton Peace Agreement was signed precisely to protect sovereignty and territorial integrity and to prevent territorial aspirations and aggressive actions of neighboring countries.

Serbia and Croatia flatter themselves and imagine that they are the guarantors of the Dayton Peace Agreement. That is why we want to tell them: you are no guarantors. You were parties to the conflict with our country, and by signing that agreement, you guarantee that you will no longer attack Bosnia and Herzegovina.

And instead of misinterpreting the Dayton Peace Agreement like that, it would be better if they very carefully and studiously read the thousands of pages of judgments of the International Criminal Tribunal, which imposed life sentences and long-term sentences on perpetrators of genocide against Bosniaks, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.

They convince us that under international law they have some right to self-determination. Again, they are misinterpreting. Isn't it clear to them that this right of peoples to self-determination applies to peoples who live, or lived, in areas that were in dependent relationships called vassalage, protectorate, mandate, and trusteeship.

If we read these international documents, we will see that the goal of the international community was the abolition of colonialism and unequal relations that existed between states. And if they want to talk about the right of peoples to self-determination, as they claim they have that right, then tell us, haven't Serbs and Croats already self-determined once and created their own states - Serbia and Croatia. A people cannot self-determine several times. Perhaps according to you, they can.

But if they can, then go ahead and self-determine wherever you want, but there is no more self-determination in Bosnia. If Serbs and Croats have the right to self-determine multiple times, I pose a very clear and open question - do Bosniaks have the right to self-determination? According to your logic of reading international law, they do. But we Bosniaks are not asking for that.

We only ask that all citizens of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Bosniaks, Serbs, Croats, and all others who do not identify as such) commit to strengthening constitutional patriotism, i.e., the rule of the constitution and laws of this country, and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms of every individual.

Therefore, we demand that the Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council, in cooperation with domestic political actors, ensure amendments to the Constitution of Bosnia and Herzegovina in order to implement the judgments of the European Court of Human Rights, to ensure equal rights for all citizens, as well as the implementation of the Opinion of the Venice Commission of March 11, 2005, which proposes the abolition of entity vetoes in decision-making in the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary Assembly of BiH, and which proposes as a better solution to move the veto based on vital interest to the House of Representatives and abolish the House of Peoples.

We demand a thorough reform of the judicial system, because without justice in the judiciary, there is no justice in the country, and without justice in the country, no system can hardly survive. Someone has removed the blindfold from the 'goddess of justice' in the judiciary. And the blindfold served her not to see who her clients were and to judge fairly.

Understanding that education is the foundation of the development of every society and that the collapse of the education system threatens the survival of both the people and the state, we demand that the competent institutions ensure significantly higher financial allocations, in accordance with the standards of developed countries, and that they ensure a quality education system in both public and private educational institutions.

It is necessary to strengthen the health system, as well as military and police structures, and ensure their standard of living worthy of a human being, and thus the security of all citizens.

Bearing in mind the fact that the demographic picture of our society is worrying, both due to the brutal killing of the population during the aggression against our country, through the commission of war crimes, including the crime of genocide, we propose that every woman/mother, regardless of whether she is employed or not, who gives birth to four children be provided with regular monthly income in the amount of 50% of the average salary, and for each subsequent child an additional amount.

Given that corruption in our society has become a rule that destroys all segments of society and strata of the population, hinders economic development, and threatens the survival of the state, it is necessary to declare every form of corruption treason against the state, and those who engage in it as traitors to both the people and the state. And draconian penalties must be prescribed for treason against the state.

We demand that the blocking of state institutions and the violation of the Constitution and laws of our country and the violation of the Dayton Peace Agreement cease.
If the Dayton Peace Agreement is violated, we demand that state institutions, primarily the House of Representatives, make a decision to return to operating under the Constitution of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, based on the Constitutional Law of December 12, 1995, which is still in force.

And finally, we want to tell everyone who attacks Bosnia and Herzegovina and its institutions and who proposes some kind of peaceful separation - there will never be any peaceful separation. If you do not stop attacking our country, only the entities that threaten the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Bosnia and Herzegovina can be abolished.

And you can call it whatever you want then, peaceful or not. We, the patriots of this country, don't care.

Therefore, we announce that we will resolutely, if necessary even with our lives, defend the freedom, integrity, and sovereignty of the state of Bosnia and Herzegovina, our only homeland, and that we will defend all peoples and citizens who are threatened, as well as their rights and freedoms - concluded Enver Išerić in his address.